CMCA Certified Manager of Community
Associations Actual Exam 2026/2027 |
Verified Questions
Community Association Managers International Certification
Board (CAMICB) | Verified Q&A | Professional Community
Association Management Candidates
This document contains 120 original questions developed to reinforce the official certification objectives of the
Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB) Certified Manager of Community
Associations (CMCA) examination. The questions address Governance and Compliance, Risk Management and
Emergency Preparedness, Financial Management and Reserve Studies, and Operations and Human Resources.
Content is designed to support professional competency and actual exam readiness for Professional Community
Association Management Candidates. All material is original and aligned with the current CMCA Examination
Blueprint and industry best practices for the 2026/2027 certification cycle. The examination form includes 100
scored items and 20 unscored pilot-test items.
Domain: Governance and Compliance
1. What is the primary fiduciary duty of a community association board member?
A. To maximize personal financial benefit from association decisions
B. To act in good faith, with loyalty and care, in the best interests of the association as a whole
C. To represent only the interests of the owners who elected them
D. To defer all decisions to the community manager without independent judgment
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Fiduciary duty requires board members to place the association’s interests above personal interests and to exercise
reasonable care and loyalty.
2. Which document typically establishes the fundamental rights and obligations of owners and the
association in a planned community?
A. The annual budget
B. The declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) or equivalent governing document
C. A temporary board resolution
D. The manager’s employment contract
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The declaration (CC&Rs) is the foundational recorded instrument that creates the association and defines property
rights and obligations.
3. What is the primary purpose of the association’s bylaws?
A. To set the monthly assessment amount permanently
B. To govern the internal operations of the association, including meetings, elections, and officer duties
C. To replace the need for any other governing documents
D. To establish architectural guidelines only
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Bylaws address the procedural and organizational rules of the association’s corporate governance.
4. When a board member has a personal financial interest in a contract under consideration, what
is the appropriate action?
A. Vote in favor of the contract without disclosure
CMCA Certified Manager of Community Associations Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, B. Disclose the conflict, abstain from voting, and ensure the decision is made by disinterested directors
C. Resign immediately without disclosure
D. Delegate the decision to the manager without board involvement
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Conflict-of-interest rules require disclosure and recusal so that decisions are made by impartial directors.
5. Which of the following is a typical authority reserved to the membership rather than the board?
A. Day-to-day vendor selection
B. Amendment of the declaration or election of directors, depending on the governing documents
C. Approval of routine maintenance contracts under a monetary threshold
D. Hiring of the community manager
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Certain fundamental actions, such as amending the declaration or electing directors, are commonly reserved to the
owners.
6. What is the primary purpose of an association’s architectural review process?
A. To generate additional revenue through application fees only
B. To protect property values and maintain community standards by reviewing proposed improvements for
compliance with governing documents
C. To prevent any changes to lots or units
D. To replace the need for local building permits
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Architectural control preserves the aesthetic and economic integrity of the community consistent with recorded
standards.
7. Which statement best describes the doctrine of selective enforcement?
A. The association may enforce rules against some owners and ignore identical violations by others without
consequence
B. Inconsistent enforcement of rules can undermine the association’s ability to enforce those rules in the future
C. Selective enforcement is always legally required
D. Rules need not be enforced if the board prefers not to act
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Courts may refuse to enforce rules that have been applied inconsistently, making uniform enforcement essential.
8. What is the typical notice requirement for a regular board meeting under most community
association statutes and bylaws?
A. No notice is ever required
B. Reasonable advance notice to directors (and often owners) as specified in the bylaws or applicable statute
C. Notice only to the president
D. Notice posted after the meeting has occurred
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Proper notice ensures directors can attend and, where required, that owners are informed of board actions.
9. When may an association generally enter an owner’s unit or lot without consent?
A. At any time for any reason
B. In emergency situations that threaten persons or property, or as otherwise authorized by the governing
documents or statute
C. Only with a court order in every case
D. Never under any circumstances
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Emergency access is typically permitted to protect life and property; non-emergency access requires authorization
or consent.
10. What is the primary function of the association’s rules and regulations?
A. To permanently amend the declaration without owner vote
B. To provide detailed operational guidelines that implement the broader standards of the governing
documents
C. To override state law
D. To set the annual assessment without board action
CMCA Certified Manager of Community Associations Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Rules fill in the practical details of day-to-day living standards within the authority granted by the governing
documents.
11. Which of the following is a common requirement for a valid board meeting?
A. A quorum of directors present (in person or as allowed by statute or bylaws)
B. Attendance by every owner
C. Presence of the association attorney at every meeting
D. Unanimous written consent for every routine decision
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A quorum is the minimum number of directors required to conduct official business.
12. What is the best practice when an owner requests inspection of association records?
A. Ignore the request
B. Respond within the time frame required by statute or governing documents and provide access to records
that are subject to inspection, subject to legitimate privacy and privilege exceptions
C. Require the owner to file a lawsuit before any records are produced
D. Provide only the annual budget and nothing else
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Owners generally have a statutory or contractual right to inspect certain records; timely, lawful response is
required.
13. Which document should be consulted first when determining the board’s authority to levy a
special assessment?
A. The community newsletter
B. The declaration, bylaws, and applicable state statute
C. A prior board member’s personal notes
D. The manager’s recommendation alone
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The governing documents and state law define the board’s assessment authority and any required owner approval
thresholds.
14. What is the primary purpose of recording the association’s governing documents in the land
records?
A. To generate recording fees for the association
B. To provide constructive notice to current and future owners of the covenants and restrictions that bind the
property
C. To replace the need for any other form of notice
D. To satisfy insurance underwriting requirements only
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Recording gives constructive notice so that subsequent purchasers are bound by the covenants.
15. When a board adopts a rule that conflicts with the declaration, which document controls?
A. The rule, because it is more recent
B. The declaration, because it is the superior governing document
C. The manager’s preference
D. Whichever document the board prefers in the moment
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The declaration is the highest-level governing document; rules may not contradict it.
16. What is the typical role of the community association manager with respect to board meetings?
A. To make all final decisions without board input
B. To prepare agendas, provide supporting materials, attend and record minutes, and implement board
decisions within the scope of authority
C. To vote as a director on all motions
D. To exclude directors from meetings
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The manager supports the board’s decision-making process and executes the board’s directives.
17. Which of the following is a recommended practice for association elections?
CMCA Certified Manager of Community Associations Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
Associations Actual Exam 2026/2027 |
Verified Questions
Community Association Managers International Certification
Board (CAMICB) | Verified Q&A | Professional Community
Association Management Candidates
This document contains 120 original questions developed to reinforce the official certification objectives of the
Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB) Certified Manager of Community
Associations (CMCA) examination. The questions address Governance and Compliance, Risk Management and
Emergency Preparedness, Financial Management and Reserve Studies, and Operations and Human Resources.
Content is designed to support professional competency and actual exam readiness for Professional Community
Association Management Candidates. All material is original and aligned with the current CMCA Examination
Blueprint and industry best practices for the 2026/2027 certification cycle. The examination form includes 100
scored items and 20 unscored pilot-test items.
Domain: Governance and Compliance
1. What is the primary fiduciary duty of a community association board member?
A. To maximize personal financial benefit from association decisions
B. To act in good faith, with loyalty and care, in the best interests of the association as a whole
C. To represent only the interests of the owners who elected them
D. To defer all decisions to the community manager without independent judgment
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Fiduciary duty requires board members to place the association’s interests above personal interests and to exercise
reasonable care and loyalty.
2. Which document typically establishes the fundamental rights and obligations of owners and the
association in a planned community?
A. The annual budget
B. The declaration of covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) or equivalent governing document
C. A temporary board resolution
D. The manager’s employment contract
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The declaration (CC&Rs) is the foundational recorded instrument that creates the association and defines property
rights and obligations.
3. What is the primary purpose of the association’s bylaws?
A. To set the monthly assessment amount permanently
B. To govern the internal operations of the association, including meetings, elections, and officer duties
C. To replace the need for any other governing documents
D. To establish architectural guidelines only
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Bylaws address the procedural and organizational rules of the association’s corporate governance.
4. When a board member has a personal financial interest in a contract under consideration, what
is the appropriate action?
A. Vote in favor of the contract without disclosure
CMCA Certified Manager of Community Associations Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, B. Disclose the conflict, abstain from voting, and ensure the decision is made by disinterested directors
C. Resign immediately without disclosure
D. Delegate the decision to the manager without board involvement
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Conflict-of-interest rules require disclosure and recusal so that decisions are made by impartial directors.
5. Which of the following is a typical authority reserved to the membership rather than the board?
A. Day-to-day vendor selection
B. Amendment of the declaration or election of directors, depending on the governing documents
C. Approval of routine maintenance contracts under a monetary threshold
D. Hiring of the community manager
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Certain fundamental actions, such as amending the declaration or electing directors, are commonly reserved to the
owners.
6. What is the primary purpose of an association’s architectural review process?
A. To generate additional revenue through application fees only
B. To protect property values and maintain community standards by reviewing proposed improvements for
compliance with governing documents
C. To prevent any changes to lots or units
D. To replace the need for local building permits
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Architectural control preserves the aesthetic and economic integrity of the community consistent with recorded
standards.
7. Which statement best describes the doctrine of selective enforcement?
A. The association may enforce rules against some owners and ignore identical violations by others without
consequence
B. Inconsistent enforcement of rules can undermine the association’s ability to enforce those rules in the future
C. Selective enforcement is always legally required
D. Rules need not be enforced if the board prefers not to act
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Courts may refuse to enforce rules that have been applied inconsistently, making uniform enforcement essential.
8. What is the typical notice requirement for a regular board meeting under most community
association statutes and bylaws?
A. No notice is ever required
B. Reasonable advance notice to directors (and often owners) as specified in the bylaws or applicable statute
C. Notice only to the president
D. Notice posted after the meeting has occurred
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Proper notice ensures directors can attend and, where required, that owners are informed of board actions.
9. When may an association generally enter an owner’s unit or lot without consent?
A. At any time for any reason
B. In emergency situations that threaten persons or property, or as otherwise authorized by the governing
documents or statute
C. Only with a court order in every case
D. Never under any circumstances
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Emergency access is typically permitted to protect life and property; non-emergency access requires authorization
or consent.
10. What is the primary function of the association’s rules and regulations?
A. To permanently amend the declaration without owner vote
B. To provide detailed operational guidelines that implement the broader standards of the governing
documents
C. To override state law
D. To set the annual assessment without board action
CMCA Certified Manager of Community Associations Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
, Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Rules fill in the practical details of day-to-day living standards within the authority granted by the governing
documents.
11. Which of the following is a common requirement for a valid board meeting?
A. A quorum of directors present (in person or as allowed by statute or bylaws)
B. Attendance by every owner
C. Presence of the association attorney at every meeting
D. Unanimous written consent for every routine decision
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A quorum is the minimum number of directors required to conduct official business.
12. What is the best practice when an owner requests inspection of association records?
A. Ignore the request
B. Respond within the time frame required by statute or governing documents and provide access to records
that are subject to inspection, subject to legitimate privacy and privilege exceptions
C. Require the owner to file a lawsuit before any records are produced
D. Provide only the annual budget and nothing else
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Owners generally have a statutory or contractual right to inspect certain records; timely, lawful response is
required.
13. Which document should be consulted first when determining the board’s authority to levy a
special assessment?
A. The community newsletter
B. The declaration, bylaws, and applicable state statute
C. A prior board member’s personal notes
D. The manager’s recommendation alone
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The governing documents and state law define the board’s assessment authority and any required owner approval
thresholds.
14. What is the primary purpose of recording the association’s governing documents in the land
records?
A. To generate recording fees for the association
B. To provide constructive notice to current and future owners of the covenants and restrictions that bind the
property
C. To replace the need for any other form of notice
D. To satisfy insurance underwriting requirements only
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Recording gives constructive notice so that subsequent purchasers are bound by the covenants.
15. When a board adopts a rule that conflicts with the declaration, which document controls?
A. The rule, because it is more recent
B. The declaration, because it is the superior governing document
C. The manager’s preference
D. Whichever document the board prefers in the moment
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The declaration is the highest-level governing document; rules may not contradict it.
16. What is the typical role of the community association manager with respect to board meetings?
A. To make all final decisions without board input
B. To prepare agendas, provide supporting materials, attend and record minutes, and implement board
decisions within the scope of authority
C. To vote as a director on all motions
D. To exclude directors from meetings
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The manager supports the board’s decision-making process and executes the board’s directives.
17. Which of the following is a recommended practice for association elections?
CMCA Certified Manager of Community Associations Actual Exam 2026/2027 | Verified Questions
